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Our All Star Faculty
Rysa began studying dance over 35 years ago in Southern California. Her passion for the art of dance and music pushed her to experience many different styles from Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop to Salsa, Belly-dancing, and African. Her formal training continued throughout college, where she earned her bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Early Childhood with a minor in Dance at Texas A&M University. She has choreographed and performed various projects for TV, stage, and screen. She has taught for over 20 years throughout the U.S. and was Artistic director of Just East of Broadway Performing Arts Studio from 2004-2008. Since 2008, Rysa has been the proud Owner/Director of All Star Studios in Forest Hills, Queens.
Shauna earned her BFA in Dance Performance from The State University of New York at Buffalo. She is currently a member of In-Sight Dance Company under the direction of Leeanne M. G-Bowley and a past member of LiNK The Movement under the direction of Ginger Cox. With LiNK and In-Sight she has had the opportunity to perform at: The National Museum of Dance, LIC Arts Open, The Moving Beauty Series, New York 60x60 Dance, Elian Summer Dance Awards, Jazz Dance Choreography Enterprises, and Harkness Dance Center’s, “Fridays at Noon”.
Shauna Sorensen and Dancers first premiered in 2010 at The Ailey City Group Theater in New York City. Shauna Sorensen and Dancers also completed their 2nd evening length site specific/multi media work, “Master Sigh”, with funding from the Queens Council on The Arts. The company has presented works at The Queens Fringe Festival, Translate: The Voices of Dance/JChen Project, The Under Exposed series, The Quarterly Arts Soiree at Webster Hall, Dixon Place Presents Fast Forward, FUSE and Immersion presented by the Creators Collective, In-Sight Dance Company’s “Suite Summer”, The Rebound Dance Festival in New Haven, CT., and The DUMBO Dance Festival. Shauna’s full bio and additional videos can be viewed by visiting www.shaunasorensen.com.
Victoria began dancing at a young age in Wilmington, NC under the direction of Mary Beth Henderson at South East Dance Theater. She studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, acrobatics and pointe, competing at a national level and performing with The Dance Theatre of Wilmington’s Nutcracker Ballet every year. Victoria then moved on to finish High School at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts where she focused her training on ballet and contemporary. She received her BFA in Dance performance with a jazz concentration and minor in Theater from East Carolina University. Since moving to New York City, she has had the opportunity to work with choreographers for performances at Ailey CitiGroup Theater, Kean University, Webster Hall, Silk City Arts Festival, Hatch and onboard The Palm Beach Princess. Most recently, she is excited to be presenting the choreography of Liz Matias of Matias Dance and Shauna Sorensen at multiple performance venues throughout the Tri-State area. Victoria began teaching at All Star Studios in 2008.
Olivia was born and raised in Michigan where she began dancing at 4 years old under the direction of Joanne Zavisa. She trained in a wide variety of styles and techniques, competing at a regional and national level for 10+ years. She continued her dance education at the University at Buffalo, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. While at UB, Olivia performed as a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company in addition to directing and choreographing for multiple showcases. Olivia has furthered her training with various organizations including the Joffrey Ballet School, The Cecchetti Council of America, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and the Dance Masters of America Student Honors Intensive Program and Teachers Training School.
Olivia recently moved to New York City and is currently performing as a member of the Mo.vement Dance Company. She is passionate about working with young dancers and feels incredible lucky to have had experiences teaching and choreographing for students at multiple studios and conventions. When Olivia is not dancing she enjoys teaching fitness classes as a certified Pure Barre Instructor. Olivia is so grateful and excited to join the All Star Studios family!
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Rose trained at the Joel Hall Dancers & Center and later joined the Chicago Urban Jazz-based company, the Joel Hall Dancers. Other dance studies include Luigi Jazz Dance Centre, Academy of Music & Movement, Katherine Dunham Technique Seminar, and Deeply Rooted Community Ensemble program in addition to graduating from the Two-Year Certificate and Teacher Training Programs at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Rose has also performed with Duwane Pendarvis & Company Dance Theatre (Horton-based), Tamboula Ethnic Dance Company (Haitian Folklore), Khalidah Kali’s North African Belly Dance Experience, and various freelance projects.
Erin began her formal dance training at the Academy of Dance Arts in her hometown of Red Bank, NJ under the direction of Jennifer Church. She continued her studies at Studio Maestro (currently Manhattan Youth Ballet) in New York City with Deborah Wingert and François Perron. In addition, Erin participated in training programs at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, American Ballet Theatre, as well as several summers in Washington D.C. studying with Suzanne Farrell at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Professionally, Erin has worked with New Chamber Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Staten Island Ballet, Rebecca Kelly Ballet, Neglia Ballet Artists, TranscenDance Group, Accent Dance NYC, Ballets with a Twist, and Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance. Erin Gallagher is a graduate of Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School.
Caroline originally from Rochester NY, began her dance training at a young age and went on to earn her BFA in dance from the University at Buffalo, where she was a member of Zodiaque Dance Company. Caroline is now a dancer and choreographer based in NYC. She has most recently performed works at Dixon Place Theatre, Bridge for Dance’s “Uptown Rising”, and Choreographer’s Carnival. Other notable credits include performing work by Naila Ansari at the Kennedy Center in DC, performing her own choreography at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre for Balasole Dance Company, and in Starring Buffalo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. Caroline currently dances for Emily Greenwell’s CLOUDE and is grateful for the opportunity to share her passion for dance with the younger generation through teaching.
Becca is a dynamic performer, educator, and creator based in Queens, NY. Known for her versatility across various dance disciplines, including jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, and acrobatics. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University at Buffalo, where her choreography was featured with companies like the Zodiaque Dance Ensemble and Infinity Dance Company. Becca has refined her craft under the guidance of leading industry professionals at The School at Jacobs Pillow, Boston Conservatory, and Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester. A proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, Becca has graced stages nationwide in productions such as Oklahoma, Beauty and the Beast, Legally Blonde, and The Little Mermaid. As an educator, she is committed to fostering creativity and technical growth in her students, inspiring them with her passion and dedication while emphasizing versatility and artistic exploration.
Kiki started her formal dance training at Just East Off Broadway in 2006 at just 2 years old, then moved to All Star Studios in 2010. She studied Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Acro, and Pointe throughout her years at All Star. She went on to join our studios very own competition team and competed for 8 years at various levels. Graduating in 2022 from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, Kiki is now an All Star alumni and continued her training at Stony Brook University in a competitive hip hop team, Deja Vu Dance. In 2023, she choreographed part of the set that they performed and competed with during that semester. Kiki now goes to Queensborough Community College where she studies Music Production and is now a full time teacher at All Star Studios.
Our All Star Desk Staff
